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Belgian Beer Styles
Blonde Ale Belgian Blonde Ales are a relatively new category in Belgian beer. Much like the reason for the creation of Strong Golden Ales in the 60's and 70's, Blonde Ales are designed to compete with the popularity of lighter Pils-style beers. The malt character of these beers ensure they are the most likely to appeal to otherwise devout lager-drinkers. Due to their similarity to Strong Golden Ales, lines are blurred when it comes down to which category a beer falls into. Usually, Belgian Blonde Ales show a subtle sweetness that other pale Belgian beers lack. Dubbel Ale One of the things that make Belgian beers so appealing is their embrace of their history. This, however, brings a lot of differing theories on the origins of certain things. Where, for example, do the terms Dubbel and Tripel come from? Some think it refers to the number of fermentations a brew undergoes, some to the strength of the beers (casks were supposedly marked with crosses X's if the barrels rolled a fraction to denote strength). Regardless, Dubbels are now a distinctive style of their own. They are a medium-to-strong, sweetish, dark, top-fermented brew. Lighter in body than one would imagine, with an understated bitterness, these beers are a way to introduce those normally wary of darker brews to the category. These beers can be enjoyed at a warmer temperature, up to 12º. Tripel Ale One of the hallmarks of Belgian beer, the Tripel harnesses some of the great beer-making techniques of the country, and uses them to produce stunning, singular beers. Invented by a secular brewer, but championed Westmalle, the Tripel is ubiquitous to Trappists' and high-end brewers' portfolios. Stronger than the alcohol presence would suggest (they usually hover between 8-10% ABV), Tripels showcase Belgian yeasts and Noble hops, providing an intoxicating floral, spicy bouquet. They possess the calling card of Belgian beer with a firm, dry finish, with a pleasant, mouth-watering bitterness. To truly enjoy these, they are best served closer to room temperature. Strong Golden / Pale Ale The rise in popularity of lighter, Pils-style beers lit the fuse for the creation of this now dominant style (necessity the mother of invention, anyone?). Happily, Flemish stubbornness ensured that they didn't completely cave to consumer demand, with these beers retaining a complexity one would expect. Sometimes falling into a grey area, sandwiched between Blonde Ales on one side, and Tripels on the other, Strong Golden Ales are notable for their pallet-scrubbing carbonation, and are even drier than Tripels. Strong Dark Ale / Quad A bit of a mixed bag when it comes to style, the campion of this style is without question: Westvleteren 12. The white whale of the beer world, it's famous for its exquisite blend of spice, dried fruit and alcohol. The quest to replicate it has blessed us with some notable brewers' best works, including Rochefort 10. There's nothing quite like this style of beer, with the overloading of adjuncts and sugars in the brewing giving the yeasts a bacchanalian feast, resulting in a myriad of aromas and flavours. Dark and dried fruit abound, with loads of toasty spice and caramel. The sweetness can vary from beer to beer, giving you numerous options when it comes to pairing with food. Saison / Farmhouse Ale An almost clichéd introduction to any writing relating to this style of beer involves referencing Bruegel's famous painting "The Harvesters" which depicts a pastoral scene of Flemish peasants harvesting wheat in the scorching, late-summer sun. A man carries two rustic-looking jugs, no doubt filled with refreshing, hoppy beer that was brewed before the weather turned warm, earlier that year. Farmhouse ales are the secular tradition of Belgian beer-making, removed from the drafty halls of monasteries, and placed firmly in the sweaty fields of the farmhand. A beer designed to refresh, these brews are not the modern, watered-down light beer one normally drinks in the sunshine. They retain the trademarks of Belgium, with herbs and spices being added to many of these beers. Tart to the point of refreshment, high carbonation and a dry finish ensure these beers will quench the greatest thirst. The French Bière De Garde are the richer, maltier version of the Saison. Historically, the area of Wallonia was split between the agrarian north, and the industrial south. The coal miners and factory workers of what is now France needed a brew that was more suited to what they craved at the end of the day, hence the schism between these beers. Witbier / Bière Blanche Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, this style of beer was all but dead for over a decade until a milkman by the name of Pierre Celis, who lamented the loss of the white beers he used to enjoy, started brewing in a hay loft. Using the traditional ingredients of wheat, coriander and orange peel, this humble undertaking evolved to the point that this style of beer is now so popular, it is the one most replicated by North American brewers. Although the use of wheat is essential to the process of making this beer, the term wit translates to the colour of the beer, not the ingredient. Not a true Witbier without the addition of the above-mentioned coriander and orange peel (specifically, Curaçao), these beers are also notable for their creamy body, due to the higher protein content of wheat and oats (which are also commonly used). A low-hops beer, tartness and earthy spice are the calling cards here. An elegant alternative the famous Hefeweizens of Germany. Gueuze Lambic Much like the best old-world wines, Lambics are a product of their location, more so than any other style of beer. Made in the same manner as before the discovery and understanding of yeast, these beers are allowed to lie dormant until indigenous yeasts find their way into the wort and begin the fermentation process. Due to the nature of the bacteria (Brettanomyces), and the aging of these beers in oak barrels (Lactobacillus), sourness pervades this classic from the Senne Valley. The Gueuze style, a blend of young and old lambics, was most likely invented when brewers bottled their beers in champagne vessels for transport. They noted an increase in carbonation after time spent in the bottle. A beer for the advanced, adventurous drinker, the use of old hops, for preservative purposes, lend a cheesy aroma to proceedings, only putting it further out of the comfort zone of the novice. An effervescent carbonation gives these beers an almost-champagne like quality (especially with the familiar flavours one would normally find in Chardonnay evident). However, the horsey, leathery notes might have a Remueur turning up his nose. The formation of a yeast flor during fermentation might have sherry drinkers noses tingling with familiarity, as the oxidation of the liquid is key to its appeal. Fruit Lambic One must ask, where did these yeasts that have brought us the Lambic beer come from? Look at a pile of rotting fruit, and there you have your answer. Yeasts that had been living and feeding on the fruits of the region for millenia were all of a sudden offered something new to eat. Like being offered sushi when all you've been eating is grilled salmon, these bacteria gorged themselves on this new food source. With morello cherries and raspberries growing everywhere lambics are from, these fruits naturally complement the flavours of the beer. Kriek lambics (Kriek is the local term for morello cherries) also bring that added benefit of tannins from the cherry pits to add even more complexity. Fruit can spend anywhere between six months and two years macerating with the beer, although, many brewers now use fruit syrups as a shortcut, and as a way to introduce sweetness to appeal to a wider audience. Flanders Red Ale Much like Lambics have a spiritual cousin in Chardonnay, so too do the Flemish Red Ales, in its Burgundian bretheren, Pinot Noir. With a pronounced acidity and tannic structure, with strawberry, cherry and vanilla notes, there's a lot to liken it to one of the greats of French wine. Originating in the 17th century, and derived from the English porter, these beers are now considered some of the most elegant to come from Belgium, and are enough to sway even the most ardent wine purist that they are worthy of their palate. While it shares some of the qualities of Lambics (many of the same yeast strains are found in both), some of the more abrasive qualities are masked by high residual sugars and lactic and acetic acids. Aged in large oak vats known as foeders (which the breweries can continue to use for decades), these beers are blended, like champagne, to achieve a house style, much like champagne. Flanders Oud Bruin (Old Brown) Simply put, Red Ales come from the western part of Flanders, the Oud Bruin is indigenous to the West. While there is confusion as to what actually makes a Red Ale versus an Old Brown Ale (for example Petrus describes their Oud Bruin as a Red Ale), there is a distinctive difference to the two: Old Browns have a distinctly more malty quality to them, and are a lot less vinous than their red counterparts. Old Browns are commonly used as a base for Flemish versions of fruit beers, especially Krieks.